An Experimental Study on Solidification and Melting of Water around the Heat Transfer Tube with Strip Fins

Abstract

The authors have studied the solidification and melting processes of water containing conductive solids in order to improve the phase change characteristics [1-3]. In the previous report [3], experiments for promoting the phase change rate were performed for the tube with aluminum spain fins. In the present study, experiments are carried out for the solidification and melting processes of water around the copper tube with strip copper fins settled at regular distance. The relation between the fin volume and the solidification or melting rate, the temperature distribution and the heat flux change are measured. On the other hand, the influence of the natural convection in the water is investigated by considering the Nusselt number and Rayleigh number, and the shape of the ice-water interface is observed visually.